The 20 Day Stranger app is a new innovation wherein one can live as someone else for a period of 20 days. What's more, 20 Day Stranger says this is completely anonymous as they work by pairing two people who can maintain their identities.
20 Day Stranger allows users to live in someone else's shoes to an extent that they can see how they go about in their daily lives.
The 20 Day Stranger app tracks the user's and the strangers (who he/she is paired with) respective paths, using related photos from apps like Foursquare and Google Maps. This tracking is done while the respective individuals are on the move.
For instance, if the user stops at a coffee shop, 20 Day Stranger will find a snapshot of that place and send it to the distant partner. 20 Day Stranger does not name specific locations and neither of the individuals have to do anything actively. The anonymity is thus maintained allowing the partners to slowly get impressions of each others' lives.
The 20 Day Stranger’s website explains, “20 Day Stranger is an iPhone app that reveals intimate, shared connections between two anonymous individuals. It’s a mobile experience that exchanges one person’s experience of the world with another’s, while preserving anonymity on both sides.”
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Anonymous Connection
- The trend of anonymous connection apps like 20 Day Stranger allows users to experience the lives of others without revealing their identities, opening up possibilities for empathy and understanding.
- Virtual Empathy
- Virtual empathy apps such as 20 Day Stranger enable users to walk in someone else's shoes, fostering a deeper understanding of different perspectives and experiences.
- Location-based Sharing
- Location-based sharing platforms like 20 Day Stranger utilize technology to track and share users' experiences and locations, creating unique opportunities for connection and exploration.
Where This Applies
- Mobile App Development
- The mobile app development industry can capitalize on the trend of anonymous connection by creating innovative apps that facilitate virtual connection and understanding between users.
- Social Networking
- The social networking industry can incorporate virtual empathy features into their platforms, allowing users to experience the lives of others and foster a sense of empathy and connection.
- Location-based Services
- The location-based services industry can explore new opportunities in location-based sharing by developing platforms that allow users to track and share their experiences and locations in creative and meaningful ways.
